Super Obvious
by themartmart
Summary: Marvin White starts to notice some odd happenings in Happy Harbor. Who are these heroes popping out of nowhere? What's up with these strange new kids at his school? And why is he the only one connecting these two obviously connected things!
1. Chapter 1: Unlikely

_Happy Harbor_

 _September 10, 12:57 (ET)_

Happy Harbor High's cafeteria was bustling with activity. Laughter echoed throughout the school as kids discussed their weekend plans. Spirits were high with talk of hanging out at the local bowling alley, preparation for the upcoming football season, and a few friendly arguments.

"Black Canary would kick Superman's ass."

Mal Duncan shook his head. "Not a chance, Wen. What's a scissor kick going to do to Supes' neck of steel?"

"About as much as Superman will do after Canary sends him to the ER with her cry. Super senses means super hearing, remember?"

Wendy Harris wasn't going to let Mal win another one of his 'Superman can beat anyone' arguments. The Happy Harbor gang had already decided that the Man of Steel would demolish Red Tornado, Hawkman and Green Lantern. Now, their Superman enthusiast was getting a little too cocky for his own good.

"Look," Mal began. "You guys have made some good points. Maybe Captain Marvel could beat Superman..." Jordan, one of Mal's friends from the football team, nodded in agreement. The blonde had famously tried to convince Coach Parks to adopt Captain Marvel as their team's mascot. To the jock's dismay, the idea never caught on.

"... I'll even say that Martian Manhunter might have a chance on a good day..." Kyle gave a slight smile from behind his book. Today, the skinny 11th grader was reading A Wrinkle in Time. Why bother reading a 50 year old novel? Probably because the group's resident geek had read every other piece of literature in their school's library.

"... But there's no way that a regular gal like Black Canary is going to take down Superman. Super powered alien beats human. Checkmate." Mal grinned at his fool proof logic. But Wendy wasn't giving up that easily.

"First off; Black Canary is no _regular gal_. I refer you back to the supersonic scream that would send ol' Supey flying home. Secondly; if Superman's so great, then where was he when that giant starfish attacked New York last week? I know where Black Canary was." Wendy crossed her arms defiantly.

Jordan and Mal's girlfriend Karen laughed at the Superman fan's flustered face.

"She might have you there, bro," Jordan said. "Black Canary turned that starfish into freakin' sushi."

Mal scowled. So what if Superman had been a little... Off the radar lately? The big blue guy was probably busting some intergalactic drug ring. Or something cooler than that. There's always an invasion going on somewhere, right? Maybe there was a bunch of really important... Justice League paperwork to take care of. Wait, no, that's not cooler than a space drug bust.

Lost in his thoughts, Mal gave Wendy plenty of time to pull her trump card.

"And besides, I'd hate to think you're dismissing Black Canary because she's a _girl_."

A chorus of "Oohs" bombarded Mal as he deflated in his chair. "Hey- hey. I never... I mean you know that's not why I-"

"Mal, honey, just give the lady this one." Karen thought her boyfriend's desperate attempts at defending his hero were cute, but he'd lost the moment Wendy joined the fray.

After considering his situation for a moment, Mal put his hands up in surrender.

"Alright," he said. "I yield. Black Canary can beat Superman."

Wendy high fived her fellow Bumblebee while Kyle gave a sarcastic "Hooray." Then a moment passed and Mal's grin returned.

"That is, if Black Canary had kryptonite."

"Oh, you dick!"

Laughter erupted from the lunch table. People eating near the group of friends were surprised by the noise. School had only started on Tuesday, and a lot of new kids at Happy Harbor High were still intimidated by the jocks and cheerleaders. The last thing they'd expect to see is them giggling like newborns with the biggest nerd and slacker in the school. Speaking of which...

"Yo, Marv. Who do you think would win?"

Marvin, who was usually the one leading these superhero debates, seemed distracted. His food lay untouched, sans the Sloppy Joe that Kyle had snatched off his plate. Mal frowned. Nobody loves Sloppy Joes more than Marvin. What was up with that kid today?

After Marvin showed no sign that he had heard Mal, Karen called out to him.

"Hey, Earth to Marvin."

The shaggy haired teen snapped out of his trance and looked around wildly. "S-Sorry, what?"

"Who would win?"

Uncertainty covered Marvin's face. After a moment of hesitation he spoke.

"... Martian Manhunter?"

"Nope," Kyle said while biting his stolen meal.

"Yeah, not even an option, pal." Jordan gave Marvin a bemused look. Marvin, meanwhile, was simply confused.

Beneath his tough exterior, Mal felt a swell of pity for his puzzled friend. "You okay Marvin? You're looking a little-"

"Green?" Marvin exclaimed loud enough for the entire lunchroom to hear.

Mal blinked. "I was thinking more along the lines of... 'Under the weather' but, uh, yours works too."

"No, no, it's just... Ugh." Sighing, Marvin put his head in his hands. The others at the table turned to each other. Sure, Marvin was a little on the odd side (Who names their greyhound 'Wonder Dog'?). But even ignoring his past behavior, this was pretty alarming.

Removing his hands, Marvin turned to his friends with pleading eyes. "If I tell you guys something, can you promise not to make fun of me?"

The desperate teen's audience hesitated. Rarely would you ever see Marvin White concerned about something as trivial as others' opinions. _D_ _efinitely weirder than Wonder Dog_. Nonetheless, they each wanted to hear what their friend had to say.

"Totally."

"Of course."

"Go for it, man."

"- _Munch-_ Why not."

"Yeah, yeah- Out with it already!"

After scanning the speakers, Marvin sat up straighter and took a deep breath.

"Alright. I'm tired because I was staying up late last night on my laptop-"

"Oh, I do not like where this is going," Karen said, leaning into her boyfriend's side.

"Jeez- Not like that, Karen!" Marvin reddened. "I was doing research, okay? Just listen."

Everyone's interests peaked at Marvin's serious tone. If 'Where's your homework Mr. White' was this invested in something, it had to be good. Their storyteller lowered his voice so that everyone had to lean in close to hear him. Even Kyle barely payed attention to his novel. Either the bookworm recognized that his companion had something important to say, or A Wrinkle in Time is really _,_ _really_ boring.

"You guys have heard the rumors about the Justice Cadets, right?"

Marvin's friends nodded. There had been talk for weeks that the Justice League was branching off into smaller, _younger_ groups. Sidekicks weren't a rarity or anything. The Boy Wonder had fought crime in Gotham while the Happy Harbor kids were still trying to survive middle school. Recently, though, more and more teenage heroes were popping up.

In July, there were reports of a standoff between Red Tornado and some robotic imitator. Cops evacuated Happy Harbor's citizens, but a few witness reports were salvaged. From what most people could gather; Kid Flash, Robin and Aqualad defeated the Red Tornado knockoff. Each of them were out of costume, but the abilities they displayed matched their M.O.'s. Along with the more recognizable heroes were two unknown teenagers. What stood out to Happy Harbor's residents that day, besides the horrible weather, was the green skin of one of their rescuers.

Conspiracy theorists had a field day trying to figure out who Happy Harbor's jade savior was. New Green Lantern? Martian? Girl who ate the cafeteria food? It was hard to tell.

Cops and news outlets gave their own altered explanation of what went down at the pier, but the people of Happy Harbor knew better. Over time, Happy's mysterious group of do-gooders became known as the 'Justice Cadets'. Admittedly, the name was a tad lackluster. But what do you expect from a town called 'Happy Harbor'?

Said town wasn't the only place with a visit from some new heroes. A vigilante had been spotted in Star City, and it didn't take a genius to guess who her mentor was. The green arrows kind of gave it away. Over in Metropolis, kids on a school bus had snapped a few pictures of Superman talking to a Superteen. No one got a clear look at the young alien's face, but he sure left an impact on Metropolis Bridge with his kangaroo jumps.

Some kids at Happy Harbor were excited by having heroes that they could relate to. Karen always talked about how they were a good influence on the community. Her boyfriend, on the other hand, had mixed feelings towards sidekicks. As a Superman fanboy, there was one protégé in particular that Mal couldn't help but envy. Everyone dreams of fighting crime alongside their favorite hero when they're little. But Mal wanted to make that dream a reality; to do what the Superteen from Metropolis gets to do everyday. Beat up criminals, save lives, and win against all odds. Right now, the biggest thrill of Mal's life is whether or not he'll survive Civics next period.

Marvin's story continued. "I've been looking into these teenage heroes, and... Well... Am I the only one who finds it a little weird that they showed up here back in July? All the crime in the world and, not one, but 5 heroes came together to help out little Happy Harbor?"

The group considered this. "Well," Wendy said, speaking for her friends. "Yeah, I guess Happy is a bit small for heroes like that to be popping up all the time. But superheroes protect everyone. Earlier this week Black Canary was in New York. That doesn't mean she can't also help people in China, or Denmark. We got our moment in the spotlight when those sidekicks saved us from that hurricane robot. Why bother looking a gift horse in the mouth?"

"I was just thinking... Maybe that wasn't a one time thing. Haven't you noticed crimes here are getting solved randomly? And Happy just seems... safer. Think about it!" Marvin was more animated now, using hand gestures as he talked.

"When Mrs. Hill's kid started drowning at the beach, we thought he was a goner! Instead, a huge wave brought him to shore. Medics went to resuscitate him, but all the water was already out of his system. C'mon, that's a little suspicious, right?" Marvin's listeners had to give him that one. He wasn't finished, either.

"Remember last week, when Mr. Belluz's ice cream parlor got held up? Kid Flash and Robin were there in... Well a flash!"

Marvin heard a distinct whisper of "Lame" from Jordan. Yet despite any teasing, Marvin's story had his friends hooked. And as curiosity for what he had to say grew, so too did Marvin's confidence.

"How could two high level heroes know about a crime all the way in Happy the instant it took place?" Marvin questioned the group. "Or get to little Happy Harbor so quickly once they found out? I knew there had to be a reason. So I thought; maybe they saw the crime happen firsthand."

"Are you saying Robin and Kid Flash were already at Mr. Belluz's before the crooks got there?" Mal seemed skeptical.

"Exactly, but there's more to it," Marvin said, excitement etched in his voice. "We know that Kid Flash works out of Central City, like the Flash. Robin's got Gotham, obviously, and Aqualad deals with issues along the coast. That new Superteen must be from Metropolis... But what about that green girl that took down the hurricane robot back in July? She needs a place to stay. All these heroes working together means they've got to have a base, too. Somewhere to monitor crime. As a new branch of the JL, I'm willing to bet good money that they'll have someplace separate from the Hall of Justice." Marvin breathed. He had almost forgotten to do so at the rate he was going.

"I guess what I'm saying is..."

Marvin trailed off and looked away. A pregnant pause would certainly build up any tension that wasn't already present. Lunch and even Kyle's book were long forgotten.

"Spit it out," Jordan said, voice gruff with impatience.

Finally, Marvin turned to his friends.

"What if the Justice Cadet's headquarters is here in Happy Harbor?"

There was silence. Then, like a few minutes earlier, the table burst into laughter. Loud, hardy laughter that caught the attention of their classmates yet again.

That certainly wasn't the reaction Marvin had hoped for.

Jordan wiped tears forming on his face. "Man, I never should have promised to not make fun of you."

After shaking his head in disbelief, Kyle returned to his book.

"Ha-ha... You think... Superheroes... Ha... In Happy?" Karen's hysterical laughter was contagious, and soon the entire table had succumb to another round of giggles.

Marvin's face, which had just gone back to its natural tan, turned a bright scarlet.

"I'm _serious_ guys!" Marvin's voice crack didn't help his case. His friends' laughter continued, perhaps louder than before. The brown haired boy scowled. For his hours of research, he had expected just a bit more faith from his peers.

"What's wrong with my idea?"

"Well for starters, you wondered how Kid Flash got to Happy Harbor so quickly? Um, maybe pay a little more attention to his name. Kid _Flash._ That's like asking why Bugs Bunny likes carrots so much. Here's a hint: its not because he owns a carrot farm!" It seemed that Mal's pity for his friend had been all but used up earlier.

Karen's laughter subsided. "Look, Marv, there's nothing inherently wrong with that idea-"

"Oh, no, there's a lot wrong with Marv's idea." Jordan's quip earned a few snickers from the group, much to Marvin's dismay. Karen shushed the football player before addressing Marvin again.

"It's just... Why would the Justice Cadets hide their headquarters in _Happy Harbor_? The most significant thing our town's done in 50 years was tear down a statue of our founder because we figured out his past isn't as 'happy' as we thought."

Marvin persisted. "But that's just it! A small town is the perfect disguise. And why else would that Red Tornado Knockoff attack little Happy Harbor? He wanted to get the Justice Cadets' attention!"

Kyle raised an eyebrow. "So now you're analyzing the behavior of sociopaths to prove your point?"

"Well..." Marvin began. His once breathtaking momentum had been lost along with any faith his friends had previously had in him. "I guess when you put it that way..."

Wendy smiled sympathetically. "It's cool to speculate, Marv, but the chances that, A: This Justice Cadet stuff is real and not a string of average hero team ups- B: A group of super powered Gods chose to settle down in Happy Harbor of all places- and C: This daydream isn't just the result of your boredom and lack of sleep..." She trailed off.

"Those chances are not very high," Kyle said, completing her thought as he simultaneously finished his and Marvin's meals. "Speaking of chances, there's a high probability that you'll being late if you don't get to class soon."

Everyone snapped to attention. 1:12 already? Time sure flies when one of your friends starts suffering from spontaneous delusions. Looks like they'll have to put a pin in this topic for now.

"Ugh, I've gotta get to civics. Wish me luck." Mal began to pack up his stuff.

Wendy followed suit. "Oh, are you guys are working on Mr. Carr's new assignment? I heard some Bumblebees complaining that he's giving out too much work this early in the year."

"Yeah. Worst part is, I'm paired with that new kid, Conner. He's like, freaky smart, but also just plain freaky. Yesterday he saw my Superman shirt and growled. For 2 minutes."

Karen laughed as Mal gave her a peck on the cheek. "Oh, stop it. He seems... Interesting. Plus, he's so cute with Megan, our newest Bumblebee. Wen and I want to get her in our little group, but she never goes anywhere without Conner."

"So you think he's cute, eh?" Mal pretended to take offence at his girlfriend's wording.

"Oh you know what I mean!" Karen rolled her eyes. "Just give him a chance, okay?"

"Fine. Only for you, K." The couple kissed on the lips this time.

Rolling his eyes, Jordan gave his best lineman a not-so-gentle tug. "Alright lovebirds, let's go. If Mal fails Civics, how am I supposed to copy his work?" Mal pushed Jordan and the two laughed.

As they walked away, Mal called over his shoulder. "You coming, Marv?"

"I'll catch up," Marvin called back, deep in thought.

"Alright. And Marv, quit going on so many conspiracy websites. It's Friday. Live a little!"

"Yeah," Jordan chuckled. "What's next? Does Mr. Carr dress like a bat and fight crime in his spare time? I bet Kyle changes into green tights whenever he slips out of PE." The two football stars ran off to class.

"Superheroes in our boring school," snorted Karen. "That's even dumber than your idea, Marv. C'mon Wendy, we've got Phys Ed. Coach promised she'd let us try out a few Bumblebee routines if we 'set a good example' for the rest of the class."

Karen dragged Wendy away from the remaining boys. As she left, Wendy ruffled Marvin's hair and squeezed the disheveled teen's shoulder.

"Don't worry," she said. "Come Monday, everyone will have forgotten about this."

 _Unlikely_. Marvin stood up, shoulders hunched in defeat. This was exactly why he hadn't planned on telling anyone his theory. Okay, he'll be the first to admit; it sounds far fetched. But aren't flying men and women with sonic screeches far fetched, too? Forget it, better just get to Civics. This would be the 4th time in a row that the teen was late to class, and on the 4th day of school as well. Mr. Carr had threatened Marvin with detention earlier that day. His tardiness coupled with the fact that Marvin was already behind on their beginning of the year assignment meant that he was 'On thin ice'. Even Mr Carr's patience has a limit. Thinking of world issues to write about, Marvin started walking. Perhaps his essay could highlight the lack of concern American students have for their peers' brilliant ideas.

"Funny," Kyle said. "Sounds like a book plot." He hadn't moved yet, despite the lunch room being almost empty.

Marvin stopped. "What do you mean?"

Kyle's focus on his novel didn't waver. "What Jordan and Karen said. Kids in our school being superheroes. Like Percy Jackson or something. You've got dudes fighting monsters and guys from the Underworld. Then, at the end of the day, they go home to a camp to learn about their powers and life and stuff. That sort of situation."

Moving became a lot harder for Marvin. The teen's mind was going 100 miles per hour, and Civics was now the least of his concerns. Of course teenage superheroes would need some kind of education. Plus, Happy Harbor had the only high school for miles. Of all places to attend, Happy was the top contestant. All Marvin had to do was prove that a member of the Justice Cadets goes to his school. Then, the others would have no choice but to believe his theory. Heck, he'd actually believe it! Marvin smiled to himself.

"Anyways," Kyle said. "That whole 'Justice Cadets infiltrating Happy Harbor' idea is some BS. Try channeling that imagination of yours into a field where it'll actually be useful. Like writing. Or criminal law." The bell rang, and Kyle put his book in his bag.

"I've got a spare, but you'd better get to class. If you need to work off what I'm presuming is a drug high of yours by bouncing some more ideas off of me, I'll be in the library." With that, Kyle gave Marvin a quick wave and left his friend in the empty cafeteria.

The grin on Marvin's face didn't falter. Forget Civics. Forget that disaster of a lunch. A new purpose was giving him energy, and he had some investigating to do. From now until Monday, Marvin's one goal was to prove to himself and his friends that he, Marvin James White, isn't delusional. He's clever. He's bright. He's-

A deep rumble came from the determined teen's stomach. Marvin frowned.

Man, why'd he let Kyle eat his Sloppy Joe?

* * *

Author's note time! Soo this is my first story. Quite exciting. Couple things. So first off, you may think "Hey no one was around to see Mister Twister" or "none of those kids on that school bus had cellphones" and I know that's not how the show presented it buuuuuut I'll just take some creative liberties there :D. Anyways, I'm looking for tips to improve, thoughts on where you think the story should go, etc. I've got a basic outline (As in a jumble of ideas inside my head that will hopefully make a full fledged story), but I'm always open to new ideas. Hope you enjoy and I'll make sure to update in approximately * **Checks imaginary watch*** the near future!

Sincerely,

themartmart.


	2. Chapter 2: Suspicions

_Happy Harbor_

 _September 13, 8:03 (ET)_

"Did you get enough sleep last night, sweetie?"

Marvin stifled a yawn. The last thing he needed was his mom finding out about his late night activities and promptly putting an end to them. _T_ _his_ _must be_ _how vigilantes feel all the tim_ _e,_ he thought _._ _At least, the one's still living with their mothers._ Shaking his head to stay awake, Marvin gave his mother the widest smile he could manage.

"Yup, nine whole hours!"

Marvin's mother frowned, and Marvin swore internally. Of course the woman who raised him would know that Marvin White never went to bed before 1:00 am. Dialing his act down a bit, Marvin tried again.

"Well, y'know," he yawned. "I was gaming all night. By 10 o'clock, I just sorta collapsed."

Marvin's mom nodded behind the wheel of her car. _That_ was more like her son. Still, she was obligated to give him a bit of parental guidance. Not that it would do much, though, as she knew from experience.

"Now, son, you've got to watch how much you're on those devices. You know, just the other day I was reading about how screens before bed can really affect your sleep. That nine hours must be feeling like three!"

 _Probably because it was_ , Marvin thought. In truth, the boy had stayed up all night. And the night before. Maybe even Friday night. But that was a given- Who goes to bed early on a Friday?

Marvin had a very valid reason for defying his usual 1:00 am bedtime. Since Friday, he had kept his vow to find the Justice Squad in his school. To the teen's surprise, tracking down a covert, possibly nonexistent group of superheroes was not as easy as expected.

Nonetheless, Marvin gave chase. He first had to choose which superhero to look for. Between the Superteen and Happy's strange green heroine, Marvin had chosen the Superteen. If the emerald girl did turn out to be a Martian, then Marvin had zero chance of finding her. Martians were a fairly mysterious species, but the Martian Manhunter had helped make their power set known; telekinesis, telepathy and shapeshifting. That last ability in particular ensured that searching for the green girl in a school of children with unique and differing appearances was as effective as looking for a needle in a hay factory. The Superteen, on the other hand, was an easier case.

Kryptonians can't (As far as Marvin knows) shapeshift. That gave the young detective a few key things to look for in his illusive prey; 15-18 years old, average height, jet black hair, and an unquenching thirst for truth, righteousness, and justice. How hard could it be to find someone in Happy Harbor High who fit that description?

Pretty damn easy- And that was the problem.

As the best (And only) high school for miles, Happy was home to over 1200 teenagers. Even cutting that in half to account for the Superteen's presumably male gender and eliminating almost all of the freshmen, there was still plenty of contestants to search through. That didn't stop Marvin, though. Mrs. White had raised her son to be many things, but a quitter was certainly not high on that list. It was obscured by his lazy, indecent, and absent-minded tendencies. A quitter, though? Not on your life.

Using his school's student directory, Marvin ruled out kids who were obviously not the Superteen. Different hair color, skin color, builds, weights; anyone who didn't fit the description was scrapped off of his list. Within just a few short days, Marvin managed to construct a group of athletes, school leaders, and academic achievers who were all likely candidates. They were the strongest, most tactical kids in Happy Harbor. The only problem was; Marvin was now left with 40-something kids who all fit the Superteen's description. And, though he knew he should be determinedly trying to narrow down all possible culprits, Marvin was just struggling to keep his eyes open.

"… So remember, an hour of sleep before midnight is worth two after midnight. Understand, son?"

"Uh huh, yup," Marvin said, pretending to have paid attention to his mother's speech. "Sleep before midnight, I'll make sure to do that. You can just drop me off here."

"Are you sure?" They were still a block away from Happy Harbor High.

"Yeah," Marvin confirmed. "All the parents do it." In reality, Marvin needed to get to school early for his little side project. That was why he accepted his mom's offer to drive him over his usual skateboard transportation. If he could see the remaining 40-something boys in person, he would be able to eliminate them from his list. Sure, 4:00 am speculation can get you pretty far, but Marvin needed a more hands on approach to narrow down who the Superteen was. Oh yeah, and prove his friends wrong in the process. Marvin hadn't forgotten the real reason he was doing this.

"Honey, look," Marvin's mom said. "There's Karen and Wendy." The two girls were a little ahead of the spot Marvin had planned to get off at. "Why don't I drop you off with them?"

Now, if Marvin was being honest, he'd tell his mom how much of a horrible idea that was. He couldn't exactly analyze suspects around Karen and Wendy. They would definitely suspect that he's a little off after Friday's disaster of a lunch. However, Marvin couldn't find a sane sounding argument against his mother's idea, so he reluctantly agreed.

Soon enough, the Whites rolled up to Wendy and Karen. Marvin gave his mom a quick kiss on the cheek, thanked her for the drive, then shooed her away.

"Bye Mrs. White!" Karen waved to the minivan before turning to Marvin. "Well, you're here early. Do any more late night research over the weekend, Sherlock?"

Karen was a surprisingly good guesser. Not that Marvin was going to give her any credit.

"Hardy-har. Are you gonna drop that anytime soon?"

Marvin had gotten a variety of teasing texts from his friends over the weekend. His absolute _favourite_ was the one Mal sent to their group chat; _"Guys! Just spotted Black Canary at Happy Harbor Mall,"_ accompanied by a picture of an 80 year old woman in a black leather jacket.

"We'll stop teasing as soon as it stops being funny," Karen said.

"In other words," Wendy began. "We're never letting this go." Marvin rolled his eyes and his friends chuckled as they approached Happy Harbor's schoolyard. From their vantage point near the building's entrance, the small group could spot kids coming from the parking lot, several sports teams practicing on the field, and even Mr. Carr's classroom through a nearby window. The young teacher was preparing for that day's civics lesson.

It was early in the morning, which Marvin was unaccustomed to. Rain had poured the night before, leaving a heavy layer of fog over Happy Harbor's grounds. Though he disliked the dreary atmosphere, Marvin knew it was all worth it when he spotted a sea of athletic kids running laps; exactly the crowd he was looking for. Everyone but the football team had arrived early for their morning practices. Now, like a lion hunting a gazelle, Marvin was ready to stalk his quarry before rushing in for the kill.

Except, Marvin wasn't going to be that harsh. He doubted his teeth would do much against the Superteen's impenetrably skin, anyways.

Hyper focused on his mission, Marvin searched for anyone on his list. He first spotted Eric Chang, a senior, and his eyes narrowed as he racked his brain for information. Chang was one of Marvin's most likely candidates. The track and field star fit every requirement; he was athletic, black haired, had a slim but muscular build, and he led his track team to victory every year. Complete Justice League material! Only one… issue, per se; Eric also happened to be Asian.

 _Wow, that came out wrong,_ Marvin thought. It wasn't like he had a problem with that or anything! Marvin just assumed that the Superteen, who's likely related to Superman in some way, would logically be a little more… How you say… Caucasian. Emphasis on the 'Cauc'. Still, as he watched Eric outrun his teammates on the track field, Marvin began to think that maybe Mr. Chang did have some Kryptonian blood running through his veins.

"Hey, look at Eric go," Wendy said.

"Yeah," Karen agreed. "He's on fi- Oh my God!"

As they spoke, Eric slipped on a patch of dirt, still wet from the previous night's rainfall. Luckily, the runner landed on his arm rather than one of his prized legs. Unfortunately, that landing occurred on the sharp edge of some nearby bleachers. To save on the gory details, Marvin quickly learned that Mr. Chang does, in fact, bleed. And judging by the abundance of blood, Marvin could safely guess that Chang was _not_ invulnerable.

As Karen ran over to help the panicked track team call an ambulance, Marvin swore under his breath. His search was prolonged. But on the bright side, at least Eric's accident meant one less candidate on his list. Yippee.

Alright, time to move on. If it wasn't Eric, then who else fit the Kryptonian sized tights? Over at the bike racks, Marvin witnessed his next candidate waltz in; Lance Kindrid. Lance was talking intently to a guy at the side of the school. Though Marvin couldn't hear their conversation, he got a grasp of it when Kindrid's friend laughed heartily and gave Lance a fist bump. The two had probably just discussed their next little get together at the Kindrid house.

Lance was the definition of confidence. It oozed off of him like the pounds of gel spilling out of his hair. He wasn't the most popular or influential kid at their school, but that didn't bother him. Lance Kindrid was a party animal, and tales of his seclusive gatherings were well known throughout Happy Harbor.

While a party goer such as Lance didn't seem like the ideal Superteen, it made some sense to Marvin. Kindrid wasn't your traditional leader, but he certainly had the influence and swagger that the protégé of Superman would require. Plus, a hero with a secret identity has got to separate themselves from their hero persona. So, it was easy to think that a larger than life celebrity like the Superteen would adopt the disguise of an unruly socialite.

Honestly, Marvin just wanted to find out what the hell is up with Lance Kindrid. That kid freaked him out.

He turned to Wendy. "What do you know about Lance Kindrid?"

Wendy wrinkled her nose. "Why do you care about that guy? I've heard he's bad news."

"How so?"

"Well…" Wendy made sure no one was watching them gossip. "After school ended last year, Lance took a bunch of his friends to party at his parent's house in California. Let's just say that, by the time the cops found them, they were lucky they hadn't died of alcohol poisoning. Or of chandelier swinging. Lance has been in juvie all Summer."

"Should I be concerned that you know so much about Happy's party goers?"

"Possibly," Wendy said, feigning a tough expression.

Marvin laughed and internally crossed Lance off of his list. No way Lance was getting in and out of juvie to go fight crime in Metropolis. At some point, Marvin was hoping to actually find some likely suspects. What about Eddie Coltrane? No, too short. Phil Harrington? No, he's still dealing with that drug scandal. James Prince? The school president had the boy scout ideals that a Superteen would, but he had also been in Happy Harbor since pre-school. There was no chance that "Paste eating Prince" grew up to be the Superteen. Ugh, who could it be?

"You alright, Marvin?"

Wendy was staring at Marvin. How long had he been standing there, internally debating Superteen candidates? Had she been watching him gaze off into space this whole time?

"Is something wrong?" Wendy's concern for Marvin was sweet, but there was no way he would reveal his investigation to any of his friends. He had tried that already, and it hadn't gone well for the ridiculed boy. Still, maybe Wendy would believe him when he had some more proof… Well, Marvin would cross that bridge when he got to it. Right now, he was a bit preoccupied with Wendy's inquisitive eyes boring into his soul.

"Uhh… Well…" Before Marvin could come up with what he knew would be a sly, clever response to quell Wendy's worries, Karen rushed back to the group.

"Guys," she said. "Look who it is!"

Luckily for Marvin, Wendy's moral priorities overcame her curiosity. "Is Eric okay?"

Karen blinked. Then realization dawned on the distracted Bumblebee. "Oh! Yeah, Eric's fine. We called an ambulance. But that isn't important now. Look!" Karen pointed to two figures leaving the parking lot.

Conner Kent and Megan Morse had arrived on the back of a motorcycle. The two were in the middle of what seemed to be a pleasant conversation. Something Conner said made Megan giggle, and he smiled at her response.

Marvin didn't know what to make of Happy's newcomers. On the first day of school, they had a rather weird encounter. To save on details, Marvin learned about Conner's distinct hate of superhero shirts. Since that incident, Marvin had barely seen Conner outside of Civics (Which Conner was already acing with his Wikipedia-like knowledge of Middle Eastern countries). He was a little more familiar with Megan, who was the definition of perky and upbeat. She introduced herself to everyone, and Marvin had talked to her once or twice after going to see Wendy and Karen at their Bumblebee practice. Still, Megan was like a social butterfly. She moved around so much that it was hard to get a hold of her and figure out what she was really like. Anyone who tried usually butted heads with Conner; aka Mr. Tall, Dark, and Brooding.

"Now's the perfect opportunity to go talk to Megan," Karen said.

"I don't know, K." Wendy gave Marvin a suspicious look from the corner of her eye. Dammit. She still wanted to know what he was up to, didn't she?

Kyle, of all people, came to Marvin's rescue. Popping out of nowhere, as he often did, the trio's comrade wove his way into their conversation.

"Karen's right," he said. "There's no other people around them. Megan won't get distracted easily. And without Mal around, you'll be able to hold a conversation with Conner that doesn't end in a glaring contest."

"See?" Karen addressed the group. "Smart kid is on my side. C'mon!" Before Wendy could protest, Karen grabbed Marvin and her, dragging them towards Conner and Megan. Kyle followed suit. Wendy gave Marvin a look that said _This isn't over,_ but Marvin would, again, deal with that issue when the time came.

Karen and her two hostages butted in front of Megan and Conner mid conversation, startling the two. The look on Conner's surprised face was comical compared to his usual scowl. He sported his regular outfit of jeans and brown leather jacket covering his black shirt. Marvin thought Conner resembled Wendy with the pair's jet black hair and bright blue eyes. They both wore their appearances very differently, however; one with a smile, and one… less so. Megan also wore her usual pink sweater, now done up in the cold weather. The bright bubblegum colour complimented her upbeat personality and auburn hair.

"Hi!" Karen spoke with a bit too much enthusiasm. Toning it down, she said, "Wendy and I wanted to, you know, formally introduce you guys to Happy Harbor. We keep missing you after practice." Wendy gave a wave from behind Karen.

That simple introduction lit Megan up like a Christmas tree.

"Oh, hello Megan! I've been meaning to talk to you girls as well!" Then Megan turned pale. "I hope you didn't think I was avoiding you. Conner and I have just been a little… busy lately. New school stuff to work out." She laughed nervously. "Plus moving in and getting settled, picking the right colour for my room. It's all… overwhelming." Megan's rambled on while Conner seemed to zone out of the conversation.

"Yeah, don't sweat it!" Karen reassured Megan.

"Last year, when my family was still moving in, I was so busy," Wendy said. "I don't think I handed in a single assignment till' November!" Wendy earned herself a few laughs.

Just like that, any initial awkwardness between the three girls disappeared. They bunched together and talked about anything that was on their minds; Megan's difficulty but subsequent enjoyment of the Bumblebee routines the squad had been tasked to learn over the weekend, Wendy's love for their new outfits, Karen's ideas that would give the costumes "A bit more sting". Needless to say, the conversation never got dull.

The boys, on the other hand, experienced a lot of dull. Between a distracted Marvin, a bored Kyle, and a disinterested Conner, there wasn't a lot of talking going on. Silence echoed between the three.

But as Marvin scanned the school yard, he couldn't find anyone on his list. How convenient of that stupid list to fail him now of all times. Without any investigating to be done, Marvin decided that there was nothing keeping him from interacting with Conner. He looked the brooding teen up and down. _It's at least worth a shot… Right_?

"So…" Marvin began. "It was pretty cool how you stared down Mal Duncan, y'know." Conner's vacant expression turned into a glare aimed at Marvin, who's confidence suddenly wavered. "Last guy who tried that… well…" Conner seemed to be challenging Marvin solely through his piercing blue eyes. "It… didn't end well." Marvin coughed, and Conner grunted. The silence returned.

Kyle snorted at the interaction, and made his own attempt at small talk. "Read any good books lately, Conner?"

Marvin rolled his eyes. Conner seemed like the type of guy to work out at the gym while listening to heavy metal about everything being horrible. Books didn't fit into that equation very well. But to Marvin's surprise, Conner's scowl disappeared. He paused for a moment, then spoke uncertainly.

"I, uh…" Conner's voice was raw. "I read Lord of the Flies recently," he said after clearing his throat. "It was… okay."

 _The book must be pretty short,_ Marvin thought, considering that was all Conner had to say about it. Marvin vaguely remembered reading Lord of the Flies in grade 5 with Ms. Hollywopper. Just thinking about that year made him cringe.

"Were you reading it for a book report?" Marvin made a second attempt at appeasing Conner. This time, he was met with confusion instead of scorn.

"No," Conner said bluntly.

"Oh." Man, how hard was it to please this guy? That probably would have ended the conversation, had Kyle not kept it going.

"That's cool," he said. "I read that one a while ago. It seems like an easy read at first, but there's a lot of hidden meaning behind it." Conner nodded, and regarded Kyle with an expression that almost resembled respect. Who knew books were such a sacred art form? Marvin had always personally favored mystery comic books. Ironic, considering he was living a detective story right now. Speaking of which, why hadn't the football players arrived at school yet? Marvin had a bunch of those guys to check off his list.

"I just started reading this one," Kyle said, gesturing to the book in his arms. Conner raised an eyebrow at the cover of a father and son playing catch. Though he gave no prompting for Kyle to elaborate, the skinny teen needed none.

"It's about a son constantly flashing back to when he was a kid, and coming to grips with how his dad raised him." Kyle shrugged. "The father son relationship is done pretty well. It's not half bad."

"I'll pass," Conner said defensively. Kyle raised an eyebrow. "Not my type of book," Conner said simply.

Kyle accepted this, but Marvin seemed a little more interested. Maybe it was the whole paranoid streak he had going, or the fact that Conner was becoming increasingly difficult to figure out.

"Not your type of book? What, you don't like books about father and sons?"

The way Conner tensed up and looked at Marvin like he wanted to bite his head off seemed to imply that the young detective's assumption had been on the nose. He would have celebrated his first successful investigation, had it not been for the look of rage on the teen before him. Conner's fists clenched, highlighting the veins on his muscles. Though he wasn't the size of Mal or anything, Marvin was still pretty sure Conner could strangle Marvin with his ample sized arms. Luckily for Marvin and his scrawny, chokeable neck, the moment passed as quickly as it had came.

"No," Conner said with an edge to his voice. "I don't."

Marvin gulped. "Noted."

Silence fell over the group again. Even Kyle seemed unsure how to react. Marvin sighed. Despite a full conversation with Conner, he still knew nothing about the kid. Except maybe his obvious need for anger management class, meditation, and some calming jasmine tea. Alright, admittedly Marvin could tell that he had struck a nerve with his personal question. Besides, Conner didn't seem to be angry at Marvin anymore. The boy just seemed... Angry. A small voice in the back of Marvin's head that sounded suspiciously like his mother's told him to put himself in Conner's shoes.

Being a new kid can't be easy. Everything you say and do is put under a microscope and analyzed, deciding if you fit in or not. Marvin thought of a time when Wendy Harris had been the new kid at Happy Harbor. She was the same Wendy; funny, caring, and clever. But she was also afraid of making a bad first impression. Once Marvin's group took her in, Wendy finally had the chance to open up. At the very least, Marvin owed Conner a similar opportunity.

"So," Marvin began. "You like books."

Confusion trumped Conner's aggression. "I guess so."

Maybe that wasn't the best opening line. Perhaps he should have formed a plan before letting words leap out of his mouth. Fortunately, an idea popped into Marvin's head.

"Kyle!" Marvin caught his friend by surprise. "You're starting a book club, aren't you?"

"Our first meeting was actually Sunday. I invited you, remember? You said you were 'occupied'."

Marvin cringed a bit. Even he was getting tired of his horrible excuses. But how could he have told his friend the truth? " _Hey Kyle, sorry I can't make it. I'm googling '10 signs that someone in your school is a superhero'"?_

"Hehe, yeah, my bad," Marvin said. "But you know who would love to go to those meetings?" Kyle and Conner shared a curious glance.

"Conner!" Marvin explained after they didn't clue in. "You two can be book bros!"

Realization dawned on the two. Kyle thought for a moment before turning to Conner with a smile plastered across his face.

"Sounds good to me. Are you up for it? We meet every Sunday and Thursday at Happy Harbor public library. 4 o'clock."

Conner hesitated. "My schedule isn't very... flexible." He shifted uncomfortably. "I can't promise I'll make every meeting."

Kyle laughed. "People aren't exactly lining up for a book club. Come when you can. Trust me, it'll be enough."

Conner smiled, but for a brief moment he seemed to doubt himself. He glanced at Megan, who was discussing how to land a "Warrior Shuffle", or whatever that meant in cheerleader talk. Conner's face softened when he looked at Megan. Even after just a few interactions, Marvin could tell those two had a connection. Finally, Conner turned back to the boys, now knowing exactly what to say.

"Eh. Why not."

Marvin's cheer rang loudly through the schoolyard, catching more than a few people's attention. Sheepishly, Marvin celebrated quieter.

A scowl twisted Conner's face. "On one condition," he growled.

Marvin stopped mid celebration and Kyle froze. The world around the three was muted as Conner spoke.

"You guys better not have stupid uniforms. I already can't stand everyone's wardrobe here."

It took Marvin and Kyle a solid five seconds to realize that Conner was joking, and their laughter was equally as long. _So there_ _is_ _a sense of humour_ _inside that turtle shell of angst after all,_ Marvin mused.

A brief pause followed the boys' laughter. With it, they were able to catch a tidbit of the girls' conversation to their right.

"You sure do know a lot about these routines, Megan. Have you ever been in any cheerleading competitions?"

Megan laughed. "Oh, there's no cheerleading where I'm from."

The others laughed politely. "Really? Where are you from?"

Conner tensed up. He turned to the girls, concern etched on his face. Marvin wondered why, then followed Conner's eyes. The raven haired boy was staring at Megan, who had a 'deer caught in headlights' look to her. Marvin couldn't figure out why. It seemed like a fairly straightforward question, right along the lines of "What's your name" or "What day is it".

Nonetheless, Megan barely stammered an answer out. "Well... er... a little West of here."

Wendy and Karen nodded, accepting Megan's answer. But Marvin wasn't buying the act.

"How far West?" Marvin's question merged both groups. Now all eyes were focused on Megan. If she was nervous before, then this attention had her completely paralyzed.

"I... uh, well-"

"Metropolis!" Conner moved to Megan's side. "We're both from Metropolis."

"Oh," Karen said. "Metropolis? You've got to take me sometime! Mal and I went there this Summer, and it was a-MAZE-ing. They sell the best food. Lots of apple pie, for some reason."

Marvin remained skeptical. "You two came from Metropolis together? Are you two, like, brother and sister or something?"

"No!" They spoke in tandem, red spreading onto Megan's cheeks. She shared a glance with Conner. It was brief, but Marvin felt like it encompassed an entire conversation. The two rotated through a series of emotions, until they finally wore an identical set of determined looks.

"Our very _separate_ set of parents are... close," Conner began.

"They work in... law enforcement, so we grew up together in Metropolis," Megan said.

Conner spoke, as if it were his turn. "But last year, our parents' got an offer to work here in Happy Harbor."

"So we moved over the Summer," Megan continued.

"In very _separate_ houses."

"And that's... That!"

Megan strained a smile while Conner wore a dark expression. Again, maybe it was all the investigating he had been doing lately, but Marvin thought there was something fishy about the awkward, broken story Megan and Conner had told. His friends definitely wouldn't believe whatever lie the two so called Metropolis natives were telling. As Karen started to talk, Marvin prepared for her to debunk the story.

"Hm... I thought Metropolis was pretty well known for their cheerleading."

 _Exactly_ , Marvin thought.

Megan laughed. "Yeah, well, we went to a pretty small school. You could fit ten of them in this place!"

Almost everyone laughed. Marvin frowned. _Wait, they bought that_? _One bad joke and everything_ _is_ _back to normal? It_ _can't_ _be that easy._

"You should have seen my old school. Our mascot was a naked mole rat." Wendy struck a pose. "Gooo Midtown Mole Rats!"

Wendy's silly demeanour had even Conner smiling. But not Marvin. _Megan and Conner_ _are_ _obviously not from Metropolis! Not only_ _is_ _their story unconvincing, but Conner ha_ _s_ _made it pretty clear that he_ _isn't_ _a fan of Mal or his Superman shirt. What kid from Metropolis doesn't like Superman?_ _Well, maybe_ _Conner was just pretending to hate Superman..._ _No,_ _that didn't make sense. Who would need to put on an act like that?_

 _Unless_...

Marvin studied Conner closer. He had originally ruled him out of his Superteen investigation because he was too new, and Marvin didn't know much about him. Now that he thought about it, though...

Conner had shown up only a couple months after the first Superteen sighting. He fit the bill appearance wise, sporting the same raven hair and even a similar outfit that Superman's sidekick had worn on Metropolis bridge so many months ago. The way he spoke about his past was unconvincing, and even laughable, like the 9th graders trying to recite Shakespeare in Ms. Beecher's spring plays. Plus, he never left Megan's side. Megan; a redhead closely connected to Conner. Just like the red headed Martian girl working with the Superteen. Martians' ability to shape shift explained Megan's tan skin. Plus, Conner and Megan certainly shared a special connection. Almost like they could hold entire conversations without saying a word...

 _Could it be possible... Well it'_ _s_ _silly to even think about..._ _b_ _ut_... Marvin couldn't deny the rather damning evidence. Alright; he would give Conner one final test.

"Hey, Conner. What-"

Marvin was cut off by the _RI_ _IIIII_ _NG_ of the morning bell. As the group had conversed, the rest of Happy Harbor's kids had arrived and were entering the brick building. Megan grabbed Conner's arm.

"Well, Conner and I better get going. See you guys later!" The two suspicious teens ran off to class before anyone could get a word in.

"Damnit," Karen said. "I wanted to invite Megan to the mall on Saturday. Isn't she so sweet, Wendy?"

Wendy nodded, then turned to Kyle. "What was Conner like?"

"Imagine a cross between a rottweiler and a bucket of angst," Kyle said.

Wendy rolled her eyes. "Seriously?"

"Hey, I'm not saying that's a bad thing! He was interesting. Like a-"

"Let me guess. You're going to say 'Like a good book'?"

Kyle reddened. "Perhaps." Wendy rolled her eyes and Kyle gave a sheepish laugh. "Anyways, I think he took a liking to Marvin."

Snapping out of his trance, Marvin blanched. "You call that 'liking'? I'd hate to be his enemy."

"Don't worry. I could see you were wearing him down. Keep it up and you might get him to laugh by April." Kyle pointed to the flood of students entering their school. "C'mon. You don't want to be late... a _gain_."

Marvin's friends joined the crowd, meeting up with Mal and some of his football friends along the way. The mousy haired teen himself didn't dare move. He was having another one of his epiphanies, which was becoming a fairly common occurrence. Nothing was for sure but, at the very least, the young detective had a lead. More specifically; he had two, 16 year old, possibly alien leads to follow, and Marvin was ready to give chase.

Speaking of chase, Marvin started to run to class. Kyle was right; he really had to get a watch or something.

* * *

Hey y'all! Sooo yeah, didn't expect this to take so long. But life gets in the way and stuff happens so, *shrugs* what're ya gonna do. Hope you enjoy this chapter, make sure to leave reviews (That I'll make sure I respond to this time!), and stayed tuned for more! Until next time, peace out.


	3. Chapter 3: Cheerleading and Schenanigans

_Happy Harbor_

 _September 13, 9:01 (ET)_

Once the excitement of the morning had passed, Marvin found that his exhaustion quickly returned. And, unfortunately for him, he wasn't the only one to notice.

"Marvin, would you like me to get you a pillow? Or perhaps some warm milk?"

After a sharp elbow from the girl sitting next to him, Marvin's head shot up from his desk. Somehow, Mr. Carr had gone from giving a lecture to waiting expectantly at Marvin's desk. Either Mr. Carr could teleport, or the teen had dosed off longer than he originally thought.

"Well?" Mr. Carr's eyebrow raised with his question.

By now, all eyes were on Marvin, interested to see how he would avoid punishment this time. At only a week into the school year, Marvin had already began a reputation of almost getting busted by teachers. Mr. Carr in particular had given him more chances than he probably deserved. Marvin's lips were dry with anticipation as he formed a response.

"Um..." Everybody was waiting. "I could go for a drink," Marvin said.

All of his classmates laughed, and a smirk appeared on Mr. Carr's face. Marvin smiled. _Success!_ A good joke could always sway the young teacher to Marvin's side.

"Very funny, Marvin," Mr. Carr said. "Why don't you tell me some more jokes after class?"

A chorus of "Oooh"'s erupted from Marvin's classmates, as the teen in question deflated on the spot. He sighed, knowing that there was no recovering from that blow.

"Yes, Mr. Carr," Marvin said, head hung low.

Mr. Carr grinned. A kind, pity filled grin, but a grin nonetheless. "Good choice." He clapped his hands together. "Now, can anyone tell me what the Rhelasian Reunification Agreement could mean for America if it goes through? Yes, Conner?"

That's how class went; informative, interactive, and boring as hell. Marvin barely managed to keep his eyes open as Mr. Carr and Conner discussed the worldwide ramifications of North and South Rhelasia coming together and blaa, blaa, blabbity blaa.

 _Hmm,_ Marvin thought. _Maybe I can catch a bit more shut eye. I mean, who's gonna notice?_ Now that the skies had cleared, the windows that Mr. Carr had thankfully left open cast a warm morning light on Marvin. His teacher's lecture lulled him into motionless rest. His eyelids got heavier and heavier until they wouldn't move. He smiled, finally at peace after a long, restless week.

 _ **RINGGG!**_

Marvin shot up from his chair. His classmates, who all had their bags packed, gave him odd looks before shuffling out of the room. Class was over already?

"Ah, Marvin," Mr. Carr spoke from his chair. "I see you're eager to get our conversation started." Head swivelling, looking for a way out, all Marvin was met with was the door closing, leaving him and his teacher alone. With an innocent smile that Marvin didn't trust for a second, Mr. Carr gestured to a seat in front of him. Relenting, the teen decided to just swallow the bullet. He sat down.

"So, Marvin," Mr. Carr began. "You know that you're a good kid, right?"

 _There it is_. Marvin tried not to groan. If he had a nickle for every time he'd heard the 'You're a good kid' speech, he wouldn't even need to go to school. Still, Marvin wanted to get this over with, so he kept a straight face and nodded. Today, of all days, he could _not_ get detention.

Mr. Carr continued. "I'm just trying to wrap my head around why such a good kid like you would be slacking off." The statement was phrased more like a question, and when Mr. Carr didn't speak afterwards, Marvin realized he was supposed to talk.

"O-Oh, well, Mr. Carr," he said. "I'm just a little tired today. Busy weekend. It's hard to focus. Don't worry, this won't happen again." _Straightforward and to the point, White._

"Okay," Mr. Carr began. "Let me make sure I've got this right. You went from coming into school late everyday, to being on time and sleeping in my class?"

Marvin cringed. "Well... At least I'm improving in something, right?" Marvin laughed awkwardly. But Mr. Carr wasn't smiling anymore.

"Look, Marvin," he said. "When you participate in class, you can do good work. I just want to get off to a good start this time. Let's not have a repeat of last year." The reaction Marvin's parents had to his report card were a good indicator that _nobody_ wanted to repeat the previous year.

Mr. Carr stopped talking. Marvin waited, but it seemed like the teacher had gotten everything he needed to say out. _Wait, that's it?_ _Barely_ _even a slap on the wrist?_ Trying not to smile, Marvin nodded solemnly.

"I completely understand, Mr. Carr." Marvin stood up, holding his hand out for the teacher. "I want a fresh start as well. In fact, I'll start by getting to physics on time. Mr. Baum awaits!" After a quick handshake, Marvin ran to his desk, grabbed his bag, then made his way to the door. Freedom was just a few steps away.

"I'm glad to hear that you're interested in change too," Mr. Carr said as Marvin's hand closed around the door knob. "We'll have plenty of time to discuss your new goals after school today. Does 2:50 work for you?"

Marvin froze. On any day, detention would be bad. But today, the mere idea was sickening. For, unlike every other day of his menial life, Marvin actually had a purpose beyond playing Call of Duty. Football and cheerleading practice were right after school, and Marvin needed to be there for one reason. Well, two reasons; Megan and Conner. Megan had yet to miss a practice, and Conner followed her everywhere. 3 o'clock to 4 o'clock would be the only chance Marvin had to prove that the alleged "Metropolis natives" were actually super powered alien vigilantes (Simple, right?). The next cheerleading practice was Friday, and Marvin was far too impatient to wait a full 4 days to crack this case. He'd have to resort to trying to bust Megan and Conner in Civics, which was difficult when Conner spent the whole class period talking to Mr. Carr about politics and countries and all that other boring stuff. Catching them at practice was his only chance.

"2:50 doesn't work for me, actually," Marvin said after performing a 180° turn. Mr. Carr looked up in surprise. He had assumed that their conversation was over. It was very rare that anyone would ever deny his detention invitations. Or, at least, _get away_ with denying them.

"I beg your pardon," Mr. Carr said, amusement in his voice.

Now, Marvin could have said that he wanted to support his friends at their practice. It was an okay excuse, and Mr. Carr may have even accepted it with him being the kind, understanding teacher that he was. But no, Marvin only had one shot at this, so he logically decided to go with the most convoluted, undeniable excuse that he could possibly think up.

"My cat died!"

Mr. Carr didn't know how to respond to that and, truth be told, neither did Marvin. Nonetheless, he had committed to the story. Tapping into whatever acting talent Grade 9 drama classes had given him, Marvin let the waterworks flow.

"I-It's just, we had Mr. Miffles for ten years, a-and he was my family pet," Marvin sniffled, laying his act on thick. "B-But yesterday a truck driver ran over him in this, like, huge truck! My dad and I were going to bury him today but, s-since I won't be there to help, I guess he'll just have to... just have to..."

"Just have to what?" Mr. Carr asked gently.

"T-T-Throw Mr. Miffles' body out... into a dumpster!" Marvin brought his hands up to his face and shook his body to imitate a crying motion. _Please buy this, please buy this._

After taking a moment to process what had just happened, Mr. Carr got up and handed Marvin a tissue box from his drawer. Like any teacher, he knew the protocol for a crying student (Except, usually only elementary school teachers had to worry about it).

"Alright Marvin-" he began before getting cut off.

"Y-Yeah?" Marvin spoke over his teacher.

"I'm sorry about Mr. Miffles-"

"MR. MIFFLES WHY?! WHY'D YOU HAVE TO GO?!"

Mr. Carr shushed Marvin softly. By now, the entire staff room across the hall could probably hear them.

"Why don't we have your detention tomorrow instead? Would that help?"

Slowly, Marvin nodded and brought his hands down from his face. "Thank you Mr. C. I think Mr. Muffles would have wanted that."

Mr. Carr's comforting expression turned to confusion. "I thought your cat's name was Mr. Miffles."

 _Whoops._ Marvin faltered. "Oh, did I say Mr. Muffles? That was just my nickname for Miffles. A nickname that I won't be able to use anymore because he's... h-he's GONE!" The tears started to come back.

Mr. Carr patted Marvin's back. "I understand. Do you want to call home, Marvin?"

Just like that, Marvin was back to normal. "Oh, that won't be necessary sir. In fact, I'm feeling better already. This talk really helped. Have you ever considered a career as a guidance counsellor? 'Cause I mean, if this Civics gig ever gets boring..." Marvin trailed off. Mr. Carr raised an eyebrow.

"Welp, better get to Physics!" Marvin was out the door before Mr. Carr could even speak.

As he ran to his locker, a smile appeared on Marvin's face. _He doesn't expect a thing._ Now, time to get to that cheerleading practice. The only thing standing in the teen's way was... Well, a lot of things actually.

* * *

 _Happy Harbor_

 _September 13, 14:57 (ET)_

Marvin stealthily made his way towards the stands. He had hoped that the ruckus around him would help conceal him and his definitely suspicious demeanour. Surprisingly, it seemed to be working. _Just don't draw attention to yourse-_

"Hey Marvin, I saved you a seat!"

Marvin cringed as Kyle yelled over the sounds of the stands. Practice was already in full swing. To help both groups get a feel for what a real game is like, the football and cheerleading teams practised together. These events were almost as popular as the school's actual games, where the Happy Harbor Hornets football team competed against neighbouring schools. As a result, rows upon rows of kids filled the stands. Kyle and Marvin were always among these crowds. They needed something to do while their friends worked hard and built up a sweat. Their usual place of business was the stands' snack bar, but today Kyle had chosen a different spot.

"Marvin! Over here!" Kyle waved to Marvin, who only sped up his pace in response. He climbed the stands and crossed the distance to his friend in record breaking time, beating the football players running drills on the field. His friend had a book at his side, yet was still much too loud for Marvin's liking.

"What's with the rush Marv-" Marvin cut Kyle off by clamping his mouth shut and bringing him to a secluded corner of the stands.

"Shhh! I'm not supposed to be here right now," Marvin whispered furiously.

Kyle blinked in obvious confusion, Marvin's hand still over his mouth.

Marvin elaborated. "Mr. C tried to give me detention, but I lied my way out of it. If he sees me here, then I'm dead for sure."

Kyle didn't respond. Then, realizing he had yet to release his friend's mouth, Marvin lowered his hand. "Sorry about that."

Rubbing his chin, Kyle gave an annoyed glare. "Don't worry about it," he said sarcastically. Then his face morphed, concern taking over his features. "Wait- Did you say Mr. Carr tried to give you detention?"

"Yeah," Marvin replied. "Why?"

"Well..." Kyle began. "Don't look now, but... Actually, you should definitely look now." Marvin flipped around and, lo and behold, Mr. Carr and Mr. Russo, the Geography teacher, were exiting the school. With their current trajectory, they seemed to be just a little ways away from walking straight into Marvin and Kyle.

"We should probably move, huh?" Marvin answered Kyle by bolting to the other side of the stands, dragging his friend by the hand.

"You - **huff** \- know Marv," Kyle said, panting as the two sprinted, receiving dirty looks as they forcefully made their way through the crowd. "I get that you want to - **pant** \- support our friends..." The two narrowly avoided knocking into a very annoyed senior holding a dangerously high amount of hot pretzels. "...But is it really worth lying to Mr. Carr? _After_ all the second, third, and fourth chances he's given you?"

Marvin considered this as he continued to weave his way around surprised Bumblebee and Hornets fans. He pondered long and hard until he said, "Yes, yes it is."

Kyle groaned, then had his breath taken from him when Marvin jerked him down into their new seats. They were now on the complete other side of the stands, far away from the prying eyes of any teachers, or anyone else for that matter. Just to be safe, Marvin carefully looked over his shoulder and, after scanning for a few seconds, found Mr. Carr. The teacher was seated where Marvin and Kyle had been, happily watching the football team practice. Finally, Marvin was able to let out a sigh of relief. It was cut short by a sharp jab to his side.

"Ow!" He glared at Kyle, who glared back.

"Seriously Marvin," Kyle said. "Real talk. Why did you need to come here so badly?"

Much like that morning, Marvin considered his options. He could lie, and make up some unfathomable story that would hopefully get Kyle off his trail. But, if he was being completely honest, Marvin was getting tired of the stories and the lies. He was already on the verge of a big discovery (Hopefully). Why keep up the charade, when he could use Kyle's help? With every other option off the table, Marvin opted to tell the truth.

"Okay, so... Remember on Friday, when I said I thought there might be superheroes in Happy Harbor?" Marvin spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully.

"Yeah," Kyle said uncertainly. "I remember."

"Well, do you also remember how all of you thought that I was crazy and didn't have enough proof?"

"Mm hmm." Kyle didn't seem to like where this was going.

"Now what would you do if I told you that, not only do I know who the Superteen _and_ his Martian friend are, but I'm also on the verge of finding legitimate, unquestionable proof of their identities?"

Kyle didn't seem to believe what he was hearing. "I'd ask who the Superteen and the Martian are," he said.

Marvin paused. This was either the moment he convinced Kyle, or lost him entirely. He took a deep breath. "Conner and Megan."

There was silence for a moment. Finally, Kyle said, "Wow. We were way off. You're not just crazy. You're delusional _and_ stubborn! It's like a cornucopia of insanity in your head, huh?"

Marvin groaned. "I knew you wouldn't believe me."

"Yeah, no shit Sherlock! I also wouldn't believe you if you told me pigs were sprouting wings, or that guide dogs had formed a union." Kyle shook his head in disbelief. "Didn't we already prove you wrong, like, ten times over?"

"This is different," Marvin insisted. "I've thought about it, and it just makes sense. Conner and Megan are the right build and age, they both showed up right when Happy Harbor's heroes started getting spotted... And you know that those two aren't from Metropolis, right?!"

"Fine, I'll give you those _similarities_ -"

"That's not it, either!" Marvin was persistent. Notice how Conner isn't on the football team? Probably because he'd break anyone that gets in his way with his super-strength!"

"First off; Conner just got to this school, and he's probably too intimidated by Mal to join the team."

"Yeah, as if Conner is intimidated by anything," Marvin muttered.

" _Secondly_ ," Kyle continued. "Everything you just said is speculation. Where's your proof? Pictures, videos, eye witnesses?"

"Well..." Marvin blanked. He always had an idea of what to say at first, but lost it fairly quickly. "I don't have proof _yet_. I just though that, by coming here, I'd... y'know... find some proof... somehow."

"So by 'On the verge of finding proof', you meant you were gonna wing it?"

Marvin cringed. "Yes," he said, much more like a question than a statement.

Kyle rolled his eyes and got up to leave. It seemed like he had made up his mind about the whole superhero debacle, as Marvin had feared.

"Wait, wait! Please!" Kyle stopped in his tracks as Marvin pleaded, if only because the two were starting to garner attention from their classmates. He sat back down.

"Last chance, Marv," Kyle said pointedly.

Scanning around for any kind of heavenly sign or spiritual 'Get out of Jail Free' card to help him in his time of need, Marvin finally spotted it; Conner. The teen was sitting just a few rows in front of Marvin and Kyle. In fact, Marvin was surprised he hadn't spotted Conner sooner. His eyes were glued to the field- Or rather, glued to Megan- as he watched the Bumblebees practice their latest routine. Slowly, a jumble of ideas in Marvin's head became a plan. _If I can get Conner to reveal his powers, Kyle will have no choice but to believe me! Conner would be too careful to reveal_ _some of his more powerful abilities_ _... B_ _ut maybe... just maybe..._

"Alright," Marvin said. "You want your proof? Follow my lead, and watch Conner carefully." Marvin got up and dragged Kyle, yet again. _This kid really needs to build some upper body strength_ , Marvin thought. _In fact..._ Within seconds, they were standing above Conner, obscuring his view of the practice.

A signature scowl appeared on Conner's face. "Can I help you?" He asked a grinning Marvin and uncomfortable Kyle before him.

"Yes, actually. Would you be interested in an arm wrestling contest with Kyle here?"

Both Conner and Kyle blanched. Whether from shock or fear, Marvin couldn't tell (Though he had his guesses).

"Uh," Conner began, still caught off guard. "No thanks. I'd rather just watch the practice that you're blocking."

"Ah," Marvin said as he took a seat next to Conner. "So you're afraid of hurting ol' Kyle here in an arm wrestling contest, right? I understand. You'd probably break his regular, thin, human arms, huh?"

Kyle turned beet red from his spot next to Marvin, and scanned his arms to see how thin they were. Conner, meanwhile, was just getting increasingly annoyed.

"No. I just don't feel like it." He returned to watching the practice.

"Uh huh, definitely." Marvin nudged Kyle, winking at him. Kyle simply rolled his eyes, much to Marvin's frustration.

 _Why doesn't he see the signs,_ Marvin thought. _Alright, time for more drastic measures_.

"Welp," Marvin said while standing up. "I'll be at the snack bar. Want anything?"

Conner actually brightened up a bit. "Some water, sure."

"Pretzels and sprite for me," Kyle said, fishing through his pockets to give Marvin some cash.

"Can do- Oh no!" Marvin wobbled. "I feel... my vertigo... taking over... I'm losing my balance!" Marvin purposely launched himself in front of Conner. Surely, the Kryptonian's enhanced reaction times would give the teen no choice but to come to Marvin's rescue, and catch him before he hit the g-

"Oww," Marvin moaned. Falling onto the bleachers hurt. A _lot_.

"You okay?" Conner seemed partly concerned, but mostly uninterested.

"Never... better." Marvin groaned. Rather than proving Conner's alter ego, he simply made a fool of himself... again. He felt a blow to his pride stronger than anything else.

Marvin slowly stood up. Conner and Kyle watched, with only the slightest hint of pity in Kyle's eyes. Beneath that, Kyle had an "I told you so" look, telling Marvin that he had done nothing to sway the skeptical teen.

"Well," Marvin said dishevelled. "Better go get those snacks." Maybe his next move would be easier to plan on a full stomach. And so, he limped off in shame and hunger, listening to Conner and Kyle's conversation about Civics, or books, or something else boring.

On his way to the snack bar, Marvin tried to cheer himself up. Maybe Conner had a good disguise, but there was bound to be a way to prove that Megan had some kind of Martian powers. He thought long and hard about it, then relented. _Calm down, White. You've still got time. Just take this nice and slow_.

"Would you like ketchup on that, Mr. C?"

"No thanks, Josh. I've been watching my sugar intake lately. A diet of soda and chips won't do you well outside of college."

Marvin stopped dead in his tracks. _Oh, come on_. The one, singular person Marvin had to avoid was ten feet in front of him, about to munch on a hot dog. _Okay, not a problem. He's distracted. Just back out of here real slow_...

"Hey Marv," the snack bar vendor called. "Can I get you the regular?"

 _Oh shit._

Marvin got on his hands and knees and crawled into the bleachers on his right, surprising some football fans. He received a few kicks and calls of "What are you doing?!", but it was worth it for the much needed cover.

"I'm sorry Josh, but... did you just talk to Marvin?"

"Uh... I thought I did." Josh sounded confused. "He was there one second, then he fell down. Probably just seeing stuff, though, y'know? I mean it is pretty hot."

"Yeah," Mr. Carr said suspiciously. "Probably..."

 _Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. Crawl, crawl, crawl._

"Call me crazy," Mr. Carr continued, as his voice got closer. "But excuse me as I double check that." Marvin could hear his teacher walking towards his row of seats. He kept crawling, but knew that he wouldn't make it to the bleacher gap before Mr. Carr saw him. _Well, desperate times call for desperate measures._

"IS THAT A FIRE?!" Marvin screamed loud enough for all of Happy Harbor High to hear. In response, he heard some concerned mutters and calls of "Huh". To the boy's dismay, no riots were to be had. Even the threat of fire wouldn't get Happy Harbor kids off of their lazy asses.

Mr. Carr was walking faster and getting closer. It was now or never for Marvin. _Alright, new strategy_ , he thought.

"IS THAT WONDER WOMAN NAKED?!"

Just like that, chaos erupted. Now, most students were smart enough to know that Wonder Woman would never show up at Happy Harbor, let alone without clothes on. But, the horny teenage mind is a crazy device that makes people do irrational things.

Kids all around Marvin stood up, eagerly looking for the scantily clad super heroine. The football players themselves stopped in the middle of their scrimmage. Marvin used the commotion as cover, and an opportunity to get up and race down to the edge of the bleachers where he had left Kyle and Conner. From there, he planned to hide at the edge of the bleachers for the rest of the practice, out of Mr. Carr's sight. But, like everything Marvin had been doing that day, it didn't go exactly as he had hoped.

The moment Marvin reached Kyle and Conner, something caught his eye. One of the girls in the Bumblebee formation had been thrown off by the commotion in the stands (Or maybe she just wanted to get a look at Wonder Woman, who knows). Unfortunately for the Bumblebees, that girl happened to be at the bottom of their pyramid; the load bearer, if you will. Marvin had seen enough Bumblebee routines to know what was coming next; a serious loss of altitude. But no Bumblebee was going to suffer more than the girl trying out the top of the pyramid for the first time; Megan.

Once they had recovered from the Wonder Woman ordeal, kids in the stands noticed the Bumblebee's pyramid begin to wobble.

"They're gonna fall!"

"Somebody catch her!"

Conner stood up, and Marvin saw concern pouring out of the boy through his expression and body language. He truly did care about Megan. Whether platonic or romantic, he loved her. It would have been sweet if the current circumstances weren't so dire.

Finally, the Bumblebees couldn't hold on anymore and the pyramid toppled. At that height, Megan had to be falling straight into at least a sprained ankle, and perhaps even a concussion. But then the most peculiar thing happened; as her fellow cheerleaders fell on top of each other, Megan contorted her body into performing a double back flip, landing perfectly on her feet. To Marvin, it was almost... too perfect.

The crowd, however, ate it right up. Once their initial shock had passed, cheering erupted from every student. Marvin guessed that they would have chanted Megan's name if they had any idea who the new girl was. Turning back to his friends, Marvin saw that Conner had relaxed and let out a deep sigh of relief.

"Whoever caused that is dead," Conner growled. He turned to Kyle, who was staring intently at their seats. "I've got to go check on Megan. I'll see if I can make Saturday."

"Okay, but I don't think you're allowed to go on the fiel- Oh, he's gone." Kyle shook his head as Conner left. Then he turned to Marvin. "So am I right to assume that this was your doing?"

Red crept up on Marvin's cheeks. "Well... maybe. But I have a completely valid reason!"

"Let me guess; it was to fuel your superhero investigation? Or was it to get out of more detention?"

Marvin was beginning to feel like a kid in the principal's office. "The second one," he said dejectedly.

Kyle sighed and said, "Well, at least no one was hurt." Marvin looked down at the field, where both the cheerleading and football teams were surrounding Megan. She seemed embarrassed by the attention, and ecstatic when Conner pushed through the herd to join her. Though no one seemed mortally wounded, Marvin did notice a few cheerleaders nursing some minor injuries and scabs. He felt a sting of guilt. Any one of those cheerleaders could have been seriously hurt, or been Karen or Wendy, who were thankfully unharmed.

Maybe his so called investigation was doing more bad than good. Part of him felt that it was time to throw in the towel. But, Marvin could have sworn that Megan used some sort of telekinesis to land that somersault. For someone who had no prior cheerleading experience and had only been practising for a week, she was _too_ good. Perhaps he should continue his search... just for a bit. What harm could it really do?

"So, how was Mr. Miffles' service? I trust you gave him a traditional burial."

 _Oh shit_.

Marvin slowly turned around to find Mr. Carr with his hands on his hips. His teacher didn't seem angry. He had an even scarier expression; disappointment. Sighing, Marvin decided to skip the lecture, and go straight to the punishment.

"Let me guess," Marvin said. "Detention at lunch?"

"Yup."

"And after school?"

"Mm hmm."

"For the rest of the week?"

"Well," his teacher said. "I was just thinking about Tuesday and Wednesday, but if you'd like to stay all week then be my guest." Mr. Carr grinned. "Hey Kyle," he said as he walked away.

After the initial shock that came with being part of his own demise, Marvin groaned at his stupidity. He sluggishly sat down next to Kyle, head in his hands. Now he was sure; his investigation _was_ doing too much harm. Heck, Marvin hadn't gotten a full sleep in weeks. He was officially putting an end to his search. But... After spending so much time dedicated to one singular mission... What would he do now?

"You know Kyle," Marvin began. "I think I'm finally going to let this go. It's time that I reassess myself. Find a new goal. Start ane- What the hell are you looking at?"

Kyle was staring intently at the spot that Conner had sat in. Marvin looked over his friend's shoulder. "What's so interesti-" Marvin's breath hitched.

The wood on the edge of Conner's seat was cracking, with splinters sprouting out at every angle, and chunks missing. It was as if an elephant had sat down to watch some football- But only in two small spots. Marvin couldn't fathom what could have caused such damage. But luckily for the C+ student, he had Kyle with him.

"That wood broke right where Conner was sitting," Kyle said. "As soon as Megan starting to fall, I heard it crack. Notice how it's only broken in the spots where Conner's hands would have been..."

Marvin started to clue in. The boy he had been swearing had super-strength all week had just destroyed a solid oak seat. If that wasn't proof of his powers, then Marvin didn't know what was. Logically, Marvin celebrated in the most modest way.

"Ah ha ha ha!" He stood up on his seat. "You asked for evidence, and here it is smart guy! We're the eye witnesses!" Marvin probably would have done a victory dance had someone not yelled at him to "Sit down!".

Blushing, Marvin celebrated quieter. "Not only does Conner have super-strength, but you have to admit that Megan couldn't have landed that jump without telekinesis. Right?!"

"Okay, okay, calm down tiger." Kyle seemed deep in thought, and Marvin was breaking his concentration. "I'm still not totally sold on any of this superhero crap." Marvin rolled his eyes at Kyle's stubbornness. " _But_ ," Kyle said. "I'm willing to... look into this with you. As an open minded observer, and nothing more," he insisted. Then a bit of a mischievous smile formed on his face. "That's why I invited Conner and Megan on our trip to the mall this Saturday.

Marvin cheered, receiving more calls of "Be quiet!". Now whispering, he said to Kyle, "Don't worry. With you as my Watson, we'll crack this case in no time."

Kyle snorted. "Yeah, I'm totally the Watson," he said sarcastically.

"Glad we're already on the same page," Marvin retorted.

A response formed in Kyle's throat, but he simply shook his head and laughed. Marvin laughed along with his friend. For once, things were looking up.

* * *

 _Mount Justice_

 _September 13, 16:10 (ET)_

"Are you sure you're okay M'gann?"

"Seriously, Conner. The other girls were way more hurt than me."

Conner and M'gann had just arrived home from the cheerleading fiasco. Practice was cut short after the accident, but the two struggled to leave with so many people flocking to M'gann. She had become quite popular after her little stunt. Now the two were headed for the cave's kitchen to grab a snack and work on their unreasonably high stack of Monday night homework.

"I'm glad you're alright," Conner said softly. "But you know you've got to be more careful next time, right?"

M'gann sighed. "I know I should have just let it play out, but I forgot that, well, this isn't Mars." A blush appeared on her pale skin. "Back there I could use my telekinesis without having to hide." She looked down. "I guess we should tell Batman, huh?"

Conner set his bag down, and tried to think of a way to cheer his Martian friend up. He didn't have much experience with homesickness... or guilt... or anything, really. Going by his gut, he gently placed his hand on M'gann's shoulder. She looked up in surprise and met his gaze.

"It was an accident," Conner insisted. "What's important is that you're safe, and no one saw anything." A hint of a smile played across Conner's lips. "Batman wouldn't be interested in a boring report like that."

M'gann smiled up at Conner.

"And you know you don't have to hide here," Conner said. M'gann frowned, confused.

"What? Oh!" M'gann clued in. "Hello Megan!" Conner watched as her skin changed from white to green.

"Is that... better?" Conner was unsure. M'gann nodded, with a new shade of red appearing on her emerald cheeks.

"Much," she said, and the two smiled at each other. That went on for a bit, until both realized that they were much too close, and had been staring at each other much longer than so called "friends" should. Conner sheepishly removed his hand from M'gann's shoulder to scratch his back. This caused an embarrassed M'gann to hastily turn away from Conner. Their moment ended as quickly as it had began... But the two were still smiling afterwards.

"Uh," Conner said a little awkwardly. "I'm going to get started on my homework."

"Good idea!" M'gann responded brightly. She levitated towards the cupboards. "Want some cookies? I'm trying a new recipe."

Conner snorted as he sat down at the island and started to unpack his bag, preparing his calculus work. "Isn't every recipe you try new?"

"Oh shush," M'gann laughed as she levitated some ingredients onto the counter.

The two ate and worked in silence. It was interrupted soon after by the cave's computerized AI announcing their friend's arrival.

"RECOGNIZED. ROBIN: B01. ARTEMIS: B07."

"Hey Supey, hey M'gann. Ooh cookies!" Robin flipped over the island to grab some food. Artemis waved to the others and did the same, albeit minus the acrobatics. As they sat down on the couch, Robin noticed Conner was deep in thought.

"What's - **munch** \- wrong Supey?" Robin said with a mouthful of cookies.

Frowning, Conner responded. "It's nothing, just... Is it normal for teenage boys to challenge each other to arm wrestling competitions?"

* * *

Phew! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter! It seems like two months is gonna be the average time it takes me to update this story. Granted, it's Summer now, so maybe I'll be able to get two out before the never ending cycle of school begins anew! Thank you to everyone who favourited and followed this story, as well as all the people that left such nice reviews. Sorry if you were expecting more of Mal and Karen in this chapter, but I can assure you that they will appear much more in the next! Did anyone ask for a mall trip? No? Well you're gettin it anyways :D!

Sincerely,

themartmart.


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